The Big Adventures of Little Inu
by Ayamegusa
Summary: Even as a little child, Inuyasha had big adventures. Join him, why don't you?
1. Chapter 1

Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

* * *

The Big Adventures of Little Inu

It was a beautiful day out in the meadow of bright yellow flowers. The sky above was a brilliant blue, with only a few wispy clouds floating carelessly by. The sun shone warmly on Inuyasha's face as he zoomed across the field, his little arms spread out wide, enjoying the wind against his skin.

Inuyasha knew it was the perfect day to play outside, as every day was, except when it was raining. He could still remember that day quite vividly, when he was too preoccupied with a mud puddle to notice the sudden pouring of rain, and how cold it had become.

He shook his head of the memory, seeing a rabbit in his line of vision. Smiling, he crouched down on all fours, his floppy ears lifting a little to catch any sounds of movement from the rabbit. Hearing nothing that would indicate the creature knew of his presence, little Inuyasha wiggled his bottom, ready to pounce. And with one leap, he landed in front of the rabbit, scaring the poor thing into bounding away in fright. Giving a little bark, he gave chase, his little mop of silvery hair moving wildly as he ran. He tried to pounce again, but the rabbit was much faster, hopping away from the boy's grasp.

Despite the minor setback, Inuyasha kept on running.

The rabbit darted in a different direction, causing the hanyou to skid to a halt before starting again in his pursuit. Faster he ran, and was about to make another leap, when he crashed into something hard and black. He fell onto his bottom with a thump while the rabbit he had been chasing darted into a burrow, safe from the small hunter.

Inuyasha growled, looking up to see what had blocked his way. In front of him stood a very, very tall man, who was dressed in dark robes and wore a hat made of straw. Stepping back, he became slightly nervous of this stranger, this person whom he had not been expecting to appear on what he understood from his parents, as private property.

So why was he here?

The tall man smiled, kindly, yet that didn't make Inuyasha feel any better. He then winced as if in pain, before collapsing in front of the toddler, where he lay silent and unmoving.

* * *

Under an old tree with its large green leaves shading the ground beneath it, sat Sesshoumaru, his eyes closed in rest, yet his ears and body were on full alert, constantly on the lookout for his brother, in case he found himself in trouble. Not that he was very worried. Their father's land was fiercely protected from such intruders, and all youkai knew the foolishness of even attempting such a task. If by some freakish chance someone did manage to sneak into their borders, well, there was a reason why their father was the Tai-youkai.

"Nii-chan, nii-chan!" he heard his little brother shout in the distance, and immediately the youkai stood up to attention.

His fear was unfounded, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the boy running towards him, unharmed. However, something else caught his eye, apparently following the little hanyou. But as he neared him, Sesshoumaru noticed that the black figure was not chasing after Inuyasha, but in fact Inuyasha was dragging the black figure behind him.

"Inuyasha, why do you insist on dragging your prey around with you?"

Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, ears twitching while a tiny finger pointed to the black figure at his feet, saying, "Hurt."

Sesshoumaru poked the body with a clawed finger, where it made a noise in response. Flipping the body over so that he could see the face, he was somewhat surprised by the human face lying unconscious before him. _How did a human get in here? And those clothes... Is he a houshi?_

"Leave him." He commanded, leaving no room for arguments as he left to go indoors.

The little hanyou's face saddened at this, wondering why his big brother wanted him to leave someone behind, someone hurt for that matter. He couldn't really understand it, and so, picking the man up by the collar, Inuyasha dragged him into the house in hopes that his mother would be able to help the man get better.

* * *

Now before anyone goes on about if I'm going to write more, yes I am. These will be only small one shots or short chapters, depending on what I feel like writing, thus why this is called "The Big Adventures of Little Inu."


	2. Chapter 2

Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

* * *

The Big Adventures of Little Inu

Inuyasha's mother looked at her son smiling back at her with his catch. The man lay still on the tatami mats, still unconscious. He certainly did have a handsome face, and she blushed at the thought. She had never been this close to a man, besides her husband, and it made her nervous. Yet upon seeing the wound in his stomach, she decided to take pity on the poor man, cleaning and dressing the wound to the best of her ability. No other youkai in the castle were willing to treat him, which she could understand, having heard that he had some powerful spiritual aura emanating from his body.

"Better?" Inuyasha asked, breaking her concentration.

"Yes." At this he clapped his hands, making her smile. "Where did you find him?"

"Outside," he then made a noise, similar to the one the man had made, before falling onto his mother's lap.

"Outside...? Inuyasha you have to be careful." She said, gently. "Do you know what a houshi is? People like him can hurt youkai, because they think many youkai are bad. Just because he is hurt doesn't always mean he would appreciate us helping him. I don't want you to get hurt. Not your brother, or nee-chan, or your father."

The small child pointed to himself. "Bad?"

"No, not bad," she grinned, scratching his little ears, "only naughty."

Suddenly, the shoji door slid opened with bang, revealing a tall, regal woman dressed in an elegant and elaborate kimono. From her face alone, everyone in the palace knew that this was Sesshoumaru's mother, with hair of pale blue, and severe golden eyes, she looked down on the woman with the child in her arms.

"Yes, naughty. I have heard from the servants that this little puppy has dragged in yet another piece of debris from outside, an intruder no less. Do you know what kind of trouble a houshi could bring, if he ever found out where he was sleeping, being tended by a human, and surrounded by youkai? What is he going to think? What is our husband going to think when he returns tonight?"

"H-he was injured, nee-chan." she defended meekly. "I couldn't have just left him like that."

The youkai woman sighed, her expression softening a little as she sat down next to her. "Izayoi, you are too gentle and kind-hearted for your own good. You can't just take pity on any poor soul who happens to walk through here. If you keep doing that, people will walk all over you. After all, the little puppy needs a good, assertive role model, so that he can grow up to be big and strong."

"He's already big and strong. He dragged in this man, all by himself."

"Ho, is that so?" her eyes sparkled, wickedly. "But is he big and strong, against me?" Snatching the little puppy from Izayoi's grasp, she began tickling under his arms until Inuyasha was screaming with laughter, trying to wiggle away as best as he could. She stopped only for a brief second, which was enough for the hanyou to dart out of the way and hide under his mother's many layers of kimono, though his giggling could still be heard, muffled by the fabric.

"That's not fair, nee-chan, attacking him with tickles. He has no way of defending himself."

"I know," she said, laughing, lifting the kimono a little, only to find Inuyasha had crawled away to the other side. "Not even my son, Sesshoumaru, can withstand _my_ power."

Just then, the two women heard a groaning noise coming from the man who was beginning to regain consciousness. Slowly, he opened his eyes, revealing their deep blue colour. He tried to sit up, but grimaced when he was struck by a pain in his stomach.

"Try not to get up. You've been hurt," a soft and female voice spoke to him. His body relaxed at the thought. _What a beautiful voice. I must be in heaven..._

"Where am I?" he asked weakly, wanting to hear the voice again.

"On the floor," said another voice, female and beautiful, yet he could sense this female was someone whom no man should trifle with, and he trusted his sense of judgement.

"Nee-chan..."

"Excuse me," he began, directing his attentions to the first voice he heard. "Why am I on the floor, with two beautiful women beside me? Perhaps I have died and gone to heaven?"

Izayoi blushed at his mentioning of the word beautiful, unsure if the houshi was actually looking at her clearly or through blurred vision. She picked the latter as her choice. "No. You haven't died. My son found you injured and brought you here. Are you feeling better?"

The smile on his face faltered, having heard the beautiful woman had a son. _I must be in the real world then..._ He blinked a few times, allowing his vision to become clearer and not fogged up by his imaginings. Looking up, indeed he saw two beautiful women sitting next to him; both dressed in a manner denoting royalty. One woman was a human, with her long luxurious black hair that flowed down to the floor, while the other woman – and he stopped in his observation of their feminine features – was obviously a youkai.

He gulped.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 3

* * *

The man was not quite sure of the appropriate reaction upon seeing the youkai woman. It was a split decision between wanting to sit closer to her to admire her ethereal beauty, and running away. His choice edged towards the former, seeing how the equally beautiful human woman had called the youkai her sister, and came to the conclusion that he was safe, but for how long he was willing to gamble.

A question brought him back from his musings, and he smiled suavely at the pretty human, "My name? How gracious of you to ask. It is Miroku. And, what is your name?" He caught her hand, causing Izayoi's face to redden as he stroked her fingers with his thumb.

"I-Izayoi," she just managed to say, snatching her hand back from him. "I'm glad that you're feeling better. How did you end up on our property, Miroku-sama?"

"Your property...? Oh, I didn't realise it belonged to anyone. Maybe that's why that youkai attacked me. I barely had the chance to escape. And you, dear lady, found me wounded, so you took me in to tend to my wounds."

"Weren't you listening, houshi-sama." Sesshoumaru's mother said, pulling at his ear. "She said her son brought you in."

"I know that. I was just trying to suspend my belief." Miroku laughed nervously. "Of course a beautiful lady such as yourself would already have a husband and a child. Otherwise, he would have been a very foolish man to let you go by."

The female youkai nodded in agreement. "You are absolutely right, houshi-sama. So how about suspending your belief for me, so that we can have some fun tonight?"

"Nee-chan," Izayoi protested. "You're married and have a son as well."

"And that should bother me?"

"Don't say such things, nee-chan! What will our husband say when he comes home? He'll be mortified."

Miroku, who had been enjoying the delightful conversation between the two women so far, was startled when Izayoi mentioned something about them sharing a husband. Surely his hearing was not beginning to wane, at his youthful age?

"Yes, that's right." The youkai lady replied, dispelling any notions that he was going deaf. "We both have the same husband, and from him, we both have a son each." She smiled. "Is there anything else you would like to know, houshi-sama?"

The houshi broke out into a sweat, though he tried to maintain his cool. "No, no, I think I have learnt enough. So you two have the same husband..." _Lucky devil, I wish I had two women to dote over me. "_To have such two lovely ladies, I'm almost jealous. Who is he anyway, a lord?"

"He's not a lord; he's the Lord, of the youkai domain, anyway. You have heard of the Inu no Tashio. He is our husband."

"Oh, I see." This time Miroku's face paled, realising that he had stumbled onto youkai territory. Not only that, it was the territory of the most feared youkai in the country, if one listened to rumour. Perhaps this was one of those times. For a few brief moments, he considered making a hasty escape. However, since he was not familiar with this household, he had no way of knowing which direction to turn to in this potential maze of a castle. He was stuck, so to speak, and from the looks of the blue-haired woman, he knew he was going to be their guest whether he liked it or not.

"You are all white, Miroku-sama. You should lie down."

Miroku's eyes widened. Of course, this Lord had a human wife as well. Appreciatively, he did what he was told, making further, discrete observations on the woman who appeared well treated and on intimate terms with the royal family. It was a rare sight indeed.

"So your Lord is your husband," he mused. "So your child..." _is a hanyou? Another rarity..._

Just then, Miroku noticed a pair of floppy ears popping up from under Izayoi's kimono, twitching. He blinked and looked again. The ears twitched in response.

"Oh look, the little puppy is shy. You don't have to be scared of him. Your nee-chan gives you permission to bite him if he tries anything."

Up popped the little puppy's head, startling Miroku by how human the boy's face looked. The child stared at him in curiously.

"Is this your son?"

"Yes." Gently, she picked her son up and brought him closer to the houshi. "He's name is Inuyasha."

The boy gurgled, his golden eyes happy.

Miroku smiled in response, patting the hanyou on the head, "A very good name indeed. He'll grow up strong."

"I'm surprised that you are not repulsed by a hanyou child, houshi-sama."

"Ah, but my dear lady, one should not hold hatred simply on the names we give to people. I know our profession is to oversee that youkai or any bad spirits do not harm the weak or those without power. But all I see here is a happy family, and nothing more. Am I right, Izayoi-dono?"

* * *

Izayoi gazed up to the waxing moon, its light still bringing pale light to the garden and courtyard. She stood there, waiting, and as if to answer, she saw the large canine shape flying closer and closer towards her. The enormous white dog landed before her, his form transforming into that of a man before his front paws could trample onto her garden of flowers.

His deep amber eyes shimmered with emotion as he looked at his human wife. Whispering her name, he embraced her in his arms. How he missed her, his family, and the mundane tasks of being a father and husband. So he was quite surprised when his wife suddenly burst out into tears, and immediately he felt the painful pang in his heart that told him he did something wrong to make her upset.

"I'm sorry, my husband," she sniffled. "But I have done a terrible thing."

"Nonsense, Izayoi. Why would you, of all people, say such things?"

"But... I'm so ashamed. This man—"

His body stiffened and the colour drained from his face, leaving him cold.

"A what?!" he said, his harsh tone making the woman flinch.

"I'm sorry," and without another word, she dragged him into the house, noticing that his large hand gripped tightly around hers almost as if he was frightened to see what she had to show him that made her so distressed.

* * *

Now if you think something bad is about to happen, then you have read too many betrayal fics...


	4. Chapter 4

Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 4

* * *

"Izayoi, please tell me what this is all about. It-it can't be that bad." The youkai insisted, trying to convince himself of his own thoughts. He knew his human wife did not have inclinations for such things, however, he was still a man, and as such, he felt somehow a little threatened that another man was bold enough to even touch her. The feelings were short lived when her small hand gripped his, and the smell of her perfume floated to his nose, calming his youki.

"Husband," she whispered as she dragged him through the corridors, her black hair swaying gently with each step. "Our son brought in an injured man, a houshi, and I tended to him for a while. Nee-chan and I talked to him about how he ended up here. He insists that he came here by accident."

"Go on."

"Well, I..." she blushed a bright red, pointing behind her, "I'm not sure what happened next."

He looked to where she was pointing at and the hair on the back of his head bristled with anger. Clenching his fist, it took all of his power not to strike at the walls. "And then what?" he breathed out, slowly.

"I... I don't know. It never happened to me before. After that, he just disappeared and nee-chan won't say what happened to him, only that she wouldn't stop laughing."

"He's gone then?" he asked, relieved, but not before his ears picked up sounds of music and laughter coming from down the hallway.

A malicious smirk appeared on his face as he stomped forward, taking his wife with him to the door, and with a slam, he slid the door open to reveal a houshi surrounded by courtesans who were dancing and singing to his enjoyment. The youkai also saw that he had a suspicious red hand mark on his face.

"Oh, there you are, husband." The lady of the household said. "Come and sit down, you too, Izayoi." She then looked behind her, noticing that the small party had become deathly silent ever since the Lord had stepped into the room with murder in his eyes. "Don't be like that. Houshi-sama is harmless. Here, have some sake to relax."

"All of you. Leave right now." The command was heard, and all the courtesans rushed out through the door, terrified, leaving the human male defenceless from his glare. "So, you're that houshi my wife has been talking about. Injured, huh, looks to me that your injury is simply a slap on the face."

"You mean this?" Miroku asked, feeling the tingling pain on his cheek. "This is just a misunderstanding between Izayoi-dono and I." He made a nervous attempt to laugh it off, yet, he already knew from the youkai's appearance, his powerful aura, and from the fact these two women were very familiar with him – he thought it would be better not to reveal how he got slapped by Izayoi.

"I could have you killed for upsetting my wife. I just hope for you sake you didn't make a lecherous advance towards her."

The youkai woman giggled.

"You did. Didn't you?!" He made a strike for him, which Miroku deftly avoided, though he fell onto his rear from the sheer force of the Tai-youkai's swing. "Did you really think I'd let some riffraff just walk into _my _house, and take advantage of our cordial hospitality? You really do have some nerve."

"Now, now, there's no need to be like that, my darling husband. Look at him. Don't you feel at least a little pity for the poor man?"

"Keh, at the moment, no, and how can you say such things. He has done something to hurt Izayoi's feelings. I must protect her honour."

"He only felt her bottom—" Her sentence fell short when she saw her husband angrily draw out the Tessaiga from its scabbard. And in a blink, both women jumped on him, restraining his arms and using their body weight to prevent him from moving too quickly to attack the human man. They screamed at him to run and hide, and Miroku did, running as fast as he could down the hallway.

Panicking, Miroku's eyes darted around, looking for a place to hide from the enraged youkai. The rumours were true, he supposed, and now he had to run away from the most feared youkai known in the human and youkai worlds. _Stupid Miroku. Just couldn't resist, couldn't you? And a hime, too... _

He heard the sounds of his temper coming closer, and so without much thought, he slipped into one of the rooms behind him.

"Houshi!" a little voice said.

"O-oh, it's you." Miroku mentally cursed himself. He knew he was in trouble now. Surely Inuyasha would start screaming to expose his whereabouts. "Look, I'll explain later, but please don't let your father find me."

Inuyasha blinked and then grinned, pointing to a door in the corner.

"Why did you help him?" Sesshoumaru asked, seeing the houshi run into the closet of futons.

"Game?" he answered.

"I don't think so."

The two children suddenly jumped when their father entered into the sleeping room, their mothers hanging on for dear life as one of them told him to calm down, while the other encouraged him to seek and find.

"Chichi-ue," acknowledged Sesshoumaru. "You're back already."

"I can smell him in here. He thinks he can outrun me. Ha! That bastard, I'll make him pay for touching Izayoi." Sniffing the air, his eyes lit up with excitement as he stalked to the door, much to Inuyasha's delight, and slammed the door open with a snarl. "Found you!"

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 5

* * *

"Boo!" Inuyasha laughed out, his little arms waving about in glee.

"Look, look, I can explain!" Miroku's forehead was already sweating profusely, and the close up of the Tai-youkai's face and fangs almost made him wish he could melt through the floors and disappear.

"You'd better, you perverted scum. I thought a delicate and kind-hearted woman like Izayoi would have been safe from people like you."

"But she is safe, I assure you." He insisted. "Izayoi-dono defended herself most admirably when I tou- I mean... She slapped me before I could even touch her. Isn't that right, Izayoi-dono?" It was a lie, he knew, but if he had to lie to save his skin, he was more than willing to try.

The lady blushed in embarrassment, to which the male youkai's mouth dropped open in shock. Completely ignoring the houshi, he glanced at his wife, his amber eyes full of questions. "What does he mean by this?"

Izayoi's large sleeves covered most of her face, leaving two worried eyes staring back at him. "I didn't mean to slap him, husband. He was injured, and I feared I had re-opened his wounds from my sudden outburst."

The youkai waited for more, but when she offered nothing else, he blinked, twice. "That's it?"

She nodded.

"Oh." A period of awkwardness passed through, until he decided to clear his throat to speak again, and even then he found it almost difficult to change the subject. "So, you didn't hurt your hand?"

Miroku's sense of dread lifted when he saw the small group had become distracted, aided by the Lord no less, so he inched back against the wall for a hasty exit. Too bad he was a mere human, and much too slow for the youkai's reflexes.

"Where do you think you're going, houshi-sama?" he asked, maliciously, "I do hope you were not planning to leave. Of course being inu-youkai, it would be fun if we had a good... chase."

The houshi fell to his knees in front of the youkai Lord, suddenly feeling weak, knowing that he was done for. He only wished his death would be swift and that the kami would forgive his unfortunate soul. _But at least I enjoyed it while it lasted..._

"Houshi-sama, your wound," Izayoi panicked, seeing the bandages had become damp with blood stains. Quickly she walked over to him, but was stopped by her husband. She looked at him with wide eyes, with a tiny hint of defiance in them. However, he remained defiant, pushing her gently to the side, announcing that he would be the one to attend to his wounds.

"No, no, I-I think I'm fine." Miroku said, scooting away from the male youkai. His day was just getting better and better, wasn't it? "It's only a little blood, nothing to be worried about."

"Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, will you please get some bandages and ointment from the medicine cabinet? Oh, and some hot water." he asked sweetly, shoving the man onto the floor. "And you stay on the floor. We wouldn't want you to die from blood loss, now would we?"

A short time later, Inuyasha ran back in carrying a big, messy bundle of bandages, while his older brother strolled in carrying a jar of ointment, and a bowl of steaming hot water.

"Ah, thank you very much. Now ladies, excuse us please. This requires delicate work that only we men can handle."

"Ma?" the little hanyou asked, putting his finger in his mouth, a sign that even he had become worried about what his father was about to do.

"Don't worry. Chichi-ue is just giving the good medicine to the houshi. Hold him down, why don't you, Sesshoumaru, there's a good boy. Get those bandages ready, Inuyasha..." The excitement seemed to catch on, and the little pup happily threw up the cloth wrappings into the air, watching them fall again on top of him.

A look of disbelief overtook Miroku's expression as he whispered, "Inuyasha, I thought you were trying to help me."

"Game!" he replied.

"A... game?" he should have known. After all, Inuyasha was a young child, who thought the world was his playground. He had to smile at that, however it soon turned into a grimace when he saw the bowl of hot water slowly tipping over, the steaming liquid aimed over his uncovered injury.

* * *

"Will he be all right, nee-chan?" Izayoi asked again, nervously clutching her cup of tea.

The youkai lady sighed. "I'm sure he will be. You know what our husband is like. Otherwise he wouldn't have made you his wife. It's more likely he's acting on his jealousy..."

"Jealousy, what do you mean by that?"

"You silly girl," she said, surprised. "Don't tell me you didn't notice? Houshi-sama was being flirtatious with you. Didn't you see that?"

Izayoi considered this explanation for her husband's strange behaviour for a while, but then giggled it off as being quite absurd, and impossible.

The Lady of the house merely shook her head, smiling. Then sighing again, she was about to take a sip of her tea, when her ears pricked up at the most terrifying sound she had ever heard, causing her blue hair to frizz.

"**AAAAHHHHHHHH, THAT'S BOILING WATER!"**

"**IT HELPS WITH THE HEALING! SESSHOUMARU, HOLD HIM STILL!"**

"**HOW'S IT SUPPOSED TO HELP IF IT BURNS MY SKIN OFF?! WHAT'S THAT STUFF?!! IT STINKS!"**

"**IT'S MEDICINE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO STINK!"**

"**WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?! AAAAHHHHHHH! NOT SO TIGHT! I CAN'T BREATHE!"**

"**I NEED MORE BANDAGES, INUYASHA!"**

Izayoi stared worriedly at her sister, "Nee-chan...?"

_Looks like they're having fun, _the female youkai mused to herself, _I just hope he has enough energy to have some fun later on... _

_

* * *

  
_


	6. Chapter 6

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 6

* * *

The violent scuffle heard from the other side of the paper thin walls suddenly fell silent, and yet, Izayoi's worries for their well-being grew tenfold.

"I wouldn't worry too much, Izayoi," said her youkai companion. "I can still hear them breathing, and from the sounds of it, our sons were also having fun. Isn't it strange, that even grown men insist on playing like little children? I assure you, they are fine. Isn't that right, boys?"

The men replied in the affirmative, except for Miroku, who pleaded for mercy and promises that he wouldn't go near Izayoi if they just untied him.

"You just want her to look after you."

"That's not true. I just happen to like a women's touch."

"Are you thinking perverted things again, houshi-sama?!"

"Why don't you let _me_ look after him, my darling husband? I'm sure he would enjoy it."

"Izayoi-dono, please tell him, I'm just a harmless human."

"Don't tell him!" The Lord shouted, before Izayoi had the chance to open her mouth. He glared at the man who was tied in bandages, rocking back and forth, protesting his supposed innocence. The houshi was a bold one; perhaps too bold, especially towards kind and delicate women like Izayoi. It was his duty as a husband and head of the household to protect her honour. "Look at you," he sneered, "You're almost on your last bit of strength. Why don't you give up now, and save yourself a lot of trouble?"

But before Miroku could answer, Inuyasha decided to speak, shouting, "No!"

In shock, both men looked at the hanyou.

"What do you mean, 'no', Inuyasha?" The youkai asked, suspiciously. "Just whose side are you on?"

Inuyasha giggled in reply, running up to the houshi and hugging his leg, much to the dismay of the Inu no Tashio.

"What's the meaning of this, boy? Are you siding with him, after he took advantage of your mother?"

"Well, at least Inuyasha knows who is in the right. After he saved my life, we have become the best of friends. Isn't that right?" Miroku grinned, patting the boy on the head, to which Inuyasha simply smiled, before darting away to hug Sesshoumaru's leg, saying, "Friend!"

"Inuyasha, you... you little rascal, come here." At this, the hanyou's father began to chase him around the room, until he couldn't help but laugh when his son continually evaded his capture, scampering circles around Sesshoumaru and Miroku. Finally, the older inu sibling managed to swipe Inuyasha off the ground, giving him to his awaiting arms. "You cheek, fooling around with your old man, eh?"

The pup shook his head, hugging his father around the neck while taking in the scents that reminded him just how much he had missed his presence. Everyone was home, and that made him very happy.

"I missed you too. But what are we going to do with this bad man?"

"Stay!" Inuyasha replied.

"Stay?! Why?"

"Friend," he chirped.

An odd look crossed the youkai's face, before he sighed in defeat, knowing the houshi was going to walk away, free from his punishment. Well, not entirely free, if only he had a few moments alone with him, and he was holding a sharp object, and...

"Pa?"

"Wha-what? Oh, you really want him to stay? But look at him. He looks like a trouble maker."

"If I am able to leave peacefully, I'll be happy with that." Miroku offered, though for some reason, he wanted to stay, at least long enough to catch a glimpse of the lovely Izayoi once more. This thought made him grin, but it soon vanished when the Tai-youkai growled at him.

"No, no that will not do. Who knows what other poor woman you'd traumatize with _your _nature? It is best that you stay here, with me, so I can keep my eye on you. My sons will help as well. And as you said, you and Inuyasha are the best of friends. Isn't that nice, Inuyasha, someone to play with all day long, everyday."

The little hanyou clapped his hands in response, while Miroku's face turned pale at the youkai's dark tone, wondering if he had done something bad in the past to have deserved such a fate.

* * *

I don't know if this little part is good or not. I'm just too tired right now...


	7. Chapter 7

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – When Dogs Dig

* * *

It was mid-morning, and Izayoi was on her knees, tending to one section of her flower garden. She had given a small patch of garden for her son to play in for the day, where he was currently digging a good sizable hole, his wiggling bottom the only sign that he was still there. Sesshoumaru was sitting on the edge of the hole, watching Inuyasha trying in vain to bury his feet with soil, with each attempt failiing every time the young youkai wriggled his toes free from the small hill. Finally, after the umpteenth time, Inuyasha stared at his toes, growling in frustration as to why they insisted on being so naughty.

"Giving up, otouto?" he asked, smiling.

Inuyasha looked up, ears twitching. "No!" With a determined expression, he began to cover his feet again, this time checking every now and then to make sure his brother's toes stayed where they were, which they did, but only until Inuyasha had become too confident and looked away to continue to dig up more dirt.

"No!" Inuyasha pouted, yet found it hard to keep in his giggles when Sesshoumaru wiggled his toes in front of his face, dotting his nose and cheeks with dirt.

Izayoi paused from her weed pulling to smile at their antics. "Don't work too hard, Inuyasha. Or else you would get too tired to help me later on."

Inuyasha's head popped up from the hole, shaking his head in reply. He then went back to digging, thoroughly enjoying the feel of dirt between his fingers and toes.

Just then, the Tai-youkai appeared before them, with his youkai wife not too far behind. They had been sitting on the veranda, observing the scene before them with keen, yet wary eyes. Not because they feared the possibility of an intruder or intruders harming their family. No, this matter was much, much more serious.

Izayoi was tending to her garden today, and from the smell of it, she was using fresh soil. And oh, what a smell did it give off. It was glorious, and so tempting to their canine senses. However seeing the hime, so engrossed and peaceful at her work, and the fact they were the Lord and Lady of the lands, they had to show restraint, though it was difficult, having seen Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha apparently having a good time. It simply was not fair.

In the end, the temptation had become much too great, and so they both decided that they should walk over to the small group, on the pretext that they were admiring Izayoi's flowers.

"Nice day today, isn't it?" he asked his human wife.

"Yes. It's so beautiful outside that I thought it would be good to work on my garden."

"Yes, it is beautiful," he said, looking at Inuyasha patting the earth onto Sesshoumaru's feet. "I say, Izayoi, is that soil... fresh? I-I mean for your flowers..."

"Oh yes, one of the servants gave me a whole pile early in the morning to work with."

"Did they, indeed?" the youkai lady mused, hiding her face behind a fan. "How wonderful, wouldn't you agree, husband?"

"Yes..." he said, the enticing smell making him fall into an almost trance-like state. "It is wonderful."

* * *

That night, Izayoi was tucking Inuyasha into bed. The boy's whole day had been filled with nothing but fun, and now he struggled to stay awake as his mother stroked his mop of silvery hair, rubbing his ears just the right way to make the struggle now a losing battle.

"Did you have a good day, Inuyasha? Go to sleep now, and dream about what tomorrow will bring."

The hanyou smiled drowsily, and then drifted off to sleep, barely noticing the kiss she planted on his forehead.

"Goodnight..." she whispered. Then, hearing a sigh, she looked up and saw Sesshoumaru tucked under the covers of the futon, facing away from her. Moving closer towards him, she asked, "What's the matter, Sesshoumaru-kun? You cannot sleep?"

He quickly shook his head, still refusing to look her in the eye.

"You're not ill, I hope."

"No, I'm not." He finally replied softly. "I just... it's nothing..."

"What is it, Sesshoumaru-kun?"

The youkai could feel his cheeks become hot, so he hid his face under the covers, pretending to be nonchalant about it. "Haha-ue... she's busy tonight, so I..."

Izayoi's face lit up in understanding. "Of course I wouldn't mind." And she began to sing a gentle lullaby as her fingers combed through his hair, which surprised him, yet when he felt himself drifting off to slumber, he didn't really mind, not when it felt so nice.

"Goodnight." She kissed him on his forehead, right on his crescent moon.

Now with both boys fast asleep, the woman yawned as she settled down for the night, lying down next to her son. Turning her head, she saw the empty space where her husband usually slept, wondering what he was up to. Her youkai sister was missing too. _They're probably busy with their duties..._ With that last thought, she closed her eyes, and soon she too drifted off to sleep.

"Good, she's asleep." The Lord and Lady breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Izayoi's even breathing, indicating that she was indeed unconscious. The day had passed on longer than usual, probably because of the soil in Izayoi's garden, its scent wafting throughout the gardens and even into their palace. The smell was everywhere, and it was simply torturous trying to resist running into her flowerbed and doing what dogs did best when faced with fresh, wonderful earth.

"I thought this day would never end." His wife agreed. "Let's go."

As he followed behind her, he was hit by a sudden realisation. So happy he had been with the thought of digging and rolling about in the dirt, it almost made him forget that they were about to make an attack on Izayoi's garden. The one she had been tending for many moons, with its blooms opening to the spring season for the very first time. He stopped in his stride, staring at her prized garden with guilty amber eyes. The flowers looked so beautiful, fresh and young, with its coloured petals closed in sleep. They reminded him of his human wife, and that made him feel worse.

The Tai-youkai took another whiff of the night air, torn between wanting to leave Izayoi's garden in peace or to give in to his canine instincts.

All he smelt was the soil.

* * *

Izayoi stared at her garden, her mouth gaped open. What was once her lovely garden was now in ruins, with plants lying everywhere, trodden on, and torn apart, and in the centre of it all, was one colossal hole.

"Who could have done this, who?" she asked herself, falling to her knees in despair. "M-my flowers... my beautiful flowers... ruined."

Inuyasha didn't know what to do. His mother was obviously distressed that someone had destroyed her favourite garden, and thus her favourite flowers. He knew who they were. Yes, there were two culprits, standing right behind him. Looking upwards to his brother, he could see by his expression that he had reached the same conclusion, and as their gazes slowly found their parents eyes, ridden with remorse, everyone knew what had just happened that night.

The little hanyou's bottom lip trembled while his ears twitched nervously, looking from his mother then to his father and back again, wanting to tell his mother what had happened, yet not wanting his father and aunt to get into trouble. Even at his young age, he could tell why they had done what they had done. It was because digging in the dirt was lots of fun. To smell the earth between the fingers and toes, and to feel it covering the whole body, it was hard to resist.

However, seeing how sad his mother had become made him want to cry, and he almost did, if not for his father's panic just managing to stop the pup's fat tears from spilling out.

"Don't cry, Inuyasha." He said in hushed tones so only he could hear. Chichi-ue and oba-chan will fix everything."

"Really?" he sniffled.

"Yes. You understand, sometimes even inu-youkai can't help themselves."

His aunt nodded. "It smelt really good too..."

"We'll fix it, won't we? By tomorrow morning she wouldn't realise it was gone."

Inuyasha smiled at this, and gave his father a kiss before sliding out of his grasp to run and comfort his mother.

And true to their word, the next morning, Izayoi's garden had indeed been fixed, looking more brilliant and beautiful than before. Perhaps a little too beautiful, when the hime soon recognised this was exactly what occurred the last time she had planted a garden for the spring, and the more she thought about it, it seemed every spring the same, strange event took place.

To say the least, it was a complete mystery. Of course she had her suspicions, yet without any proof, there was no way she could point her finger at anyone. Not when her garden looked so nice, with the rising warm sun shining down on them.

When she asked her husband about it, the Lord and Lady simply blushed, refusing to look at her for fear the truth would spill out from their mouths. Instead, they choose to eat their breakfast rice at a much faster pace.

"Do you know who fixed my garden, Inuyasha?" she asked her son.

Startled, the boy looked up from his soup bowl, and without thinking, he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Rabbit."

"Rabbit?"

"Big rabbit!" he emphasised, spreading out his arms.

Izayoi laughed. _Never mind. I'll find out next time..._

_

* * *

  
_


	8. Chapter 8

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 7

* * *

Miroku woke up to the sounds of incessant pounding at his door. Cracking one eye open, he asked all the kami that existed in this world, why there were some people who insisted on disturbing other people's nice dreams, so early in the morning. His reply came in a fit of giggles and more pounding against his door, which the houshi recognised straight away.

"Inuyasha, is that you?"

"Houshi!" the voice behind the door called out.

"What are you doing up so early in the morning?" He opened the door to let the boy in, watching with curious eyes as the hanyou dragged in a bowl full of water. "What's this for?"

"Wash." He then made some actions with his hands to show him, making the man smile at the adorableness of his new puppy friend. Of all the things which happened only yesterday, and he could still remember the Lord's cruel sense of humour, the Lady's innuendos, and Izayoi's loveliness, it was nice to know he had at least one friend who was on his side. Unless, the little hanyou thought he was simply staying for his amusement – and Miroku was still a bit wary of what 'games' he would be made to play – he couldn't really complain of such an innocent child. Inuyasha played the innocent part well enough, with his big, bright eyes and his floppy puppy ears, and he began to wonder, if he ever got into fatherhood, would his children be as cute as him.

Shaking his head from such thoughts, since he was still much too young and attractive to settle down just yet, he followed the hanyou down the hallway to the eating room.

"There you are, Inuyasha. Did houshi-sama give you any trouble?" Sesshoumaru asked, making room for his brother to sit beside him.

"Why?"

"You know about yesterday. He's the kind of person to have trouble follow him. I thought chichi-ue was not going to let him sleep through the night."

"Sesshoumaru," his mother gently admonished him. "There is no need to frighten them. I do hope your sleep last night was pleasant, houshi-sama."

Miroku smiled, awkwardly. "Yes, quite pleasant. I feel my wounds have all healed, thanks to the care of... your husband and his two sons."

The said husband huffed but made no further comment, apart from giving a well calculated glare at the houshi before anyone could notice. If he would say he didn't understand why the houshi insisted on staying, even if his wounds were all healed, the Tai-youkai would be lying. He did understand, all too well. The thought of his poor human wife being looked upon by such people, it was despicable. Luckily, he had Inuyasha on his side; surely he would make sure the houshi was kept distracted from pretty faces, and Izayoi.

"Finish!" the hanyou boy announced, with his food sprinkled around his mouth.

"But, that's my breakfast!" Miroku replied, holding out his empty bowl for him to see. "Why did you eat mine? Your one is over there." As soon as the words left his mouth, Inuyasha had attacked his own bowl.

"You shouldn't have let him sit in your lap, then." Sesshoumaru said.

"Here, have some more, there's plenty." Izayoi took his bowl and poured him another serving, then placed it into his grateful hands.

"Finish?" asked Inuyasha, tugging on Miroku's robes.

"No, I'm only half way."

"Feed you?"

"No," Miroku held the bowl tightly against his chest, suddenly thinking that his breakfast was about to be stolen again. "I can feed myself. You just have to wait for me."

"He's right, Inuyasha. It's best not to rush people while they eat. They might get stomach aches if they eat too quickly." Izayoi said, wiping her son's mouth with a cloth.

"Yes, listen to your mother. I must eat slowly."

"Too slow, I feed." The boy insisted. Somehow he thought Miroku was taking a little too long eating breakfast. Perhaps he didn't want to play on such a nice day? _Never mind, _thought Inuyasha as he pushed him across the room, with the intention of showing him what a lovely day it was outside. Ignoring Miroku's puzzled looks, the pup managed to push him almost out the door and onto the veranda, much to the muffled laughter of the other family members.

"Slow down, Inuyasha," said his father. "There is a whole day ahead of you, so let him eat in peace... for a while."

Inuyasha grinned, and waited.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Escape from the Tickle Youkai

* * *

The Tai-youkai, graceful and powerful, was sitting down with his sons in a circle, participating in one of his favourite activities. The much feared leader and ruler amongst other youkai – a title lost when he simply became the loving husband of his two beautiful wives, and the father of his two wonderful sons. He had his eyes covered by his large hands, instructing the boys to copy his actions. Though unable to see his surroundings, his other senses came into play, to pinpoint where his sons were sitting. This game that they were playing was relatively simple, yet hard at the same time. The youkai was a very patient teacher, as Inuyasha was learning the basics of the game for the first time, and as yet, the little hanyou didn't know how to keep nice and quiet, giggling once in a while in his excitement.

"Where's Inuyasha? I can't find him," he said.

"Uh oh!" the boy replied, giggling, earning muffled snorts of laughter from the other youkai.

"Sesshoumaru, do you know where he is?"

"No, I don't. I think you're on your own this time."

"Hn...This is difficult, very difficult. Where could he be?"

"Here!"

The father smiled, pretending not to notice as he reached out to the hanyou boy. "Are you over here?" Wiggling his fingers, he attempted to tickle his tummy, but only managed to catch the air around them.

Inuyasha could barely keep his laughter in while he scooted across the floor, avoiding his father's tickle attacks. He dodged this way and that, his eyes still covered, until he lost his balance and tumbled onto the floor. Now, lying on his back, he was vulnerable, with his bare feet in easy range. He could feel the presence of his father coming closer, and so with the encouragement from his brother to roll away and escape, Inuyasha did just that.

Except that he ended up rolling around in a full, if somewhat crazy circle, where he met his father's awaiting arms.

"Oh, look who's here? Did you really think you could hide from me, little guy?" Swiftly he scooped the little boy up, and proceeded to tickle his feet with glee.

"No! No!" Inuyasha screamed, squirming his way out of the youkai's grasp, and jumping into his brother's lap for protection.

Sesshoumaru gasped, but it was too late.

The brothers did not have a chance against the Tickle Youkai, their father.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Time for a Snack

* * *

Sesshoumaru carefully held the bowl containing his freshly cut nashi pears as he found a place to sit on the veranda. He had waited a long time for the tree in the palace gardens to bear fruit, and was delighted when his mother presented him with the first pickings of the season. He took the first bite out of the fruit, savouring the aroma and the refreshing, sweet taste of the pear. Smiling, he licked his lips, taking another piece to eat, when he noticed that his little baby brother, Inuyasha, was crawling towards him. No doubt the little puppy had smelt the sweet fruit and wanted some as well.

Inuyasha stood up, shakily, using his brother's knee as support. He then looked at the bowl Sesshoumaru was holding, and then at him, putting his finger in his mouth to indicate that he wanted to taste the nashi pear.

The older brother hesitated, but quickly his mood changed when he saw Inuyasha's big, bright puppy eyes staring expectantly at him, and the way his little floppy ears moved cutely above his silvery mop of hair. Offering him the bowl, Sesshoumaru waited for him to snatch a piece away, but was surprised when the hanyou pointed to the one he had in his hand.

"This one is mine, otouto. Take another one."

Inuyasha gurgled as he pointed again, wiggling his bottom in anticipation.

Sesshoumaru sighed, giving his well earned treat to his brother. Inuyasha's eyes lit up as he clapped his hands, sitting next to his big brother to gnaw at the soft fruit with his newly formed tooth.

"Hungry, aren't you?" he said, picking up another piece to chew on.

"Ah!" Inuyasha replied, standing up while holding onto Sesshoumaru's hakama with his now sticky fingers, grinning with his juice stained mouth and chin. He looked at his brother, his eyes focussed on the slice of fruit his brother was about to eat.

"No," Sesshoumaru simply said, picking up the messy child and placing him on his lap so that they could both share the fruit without Inuyasha having to disturb his peaceful snack time.

Inuyasha clapped his hands, and then grabbed a piece for himself, chewing on it until it became nothing more than juice, dribbling down his chin and onto his clothes.

The young youkai just shook his head as he scratched the soft little ears out of curiosity, saying, "You messy otouto."


	11. Chapter 11

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Time for a Bath

* * *

The Youkai Lord closed his eyes in bliss, relishing how the hot waters of the onsen relaxed his muscles after long hours of palace duties, attending meetings with other youkai councillors, and of course, playing the monster games with his sons. And he had to admit, that trying to chase down his extra nimble boys warranted such a need to simply sink into the water, and allowing its soothing magic to calm his stiff muscles. Besides, it was time for their bath anyway.

His ears twitched at the sounds of his youngest son, Inuyasha, was making, squealing in laughter as he tried his hardest to defend his tub of water fortress, from the onslaught of splashing from his eldest son, Sesshoumaru.

"I'm going to beat you!" Sesshoumaru shouted with a splash.

"No, no, no!" Inuyasha screamed back with a splash of his own.

_Ah, peace and quiet. _The youkai sighed happily, his thoughts drifting to other things. Yes, this was the life he had always wanted and cherished. Not for the large palace or how many lands he had ruled over, and fought over to maintain the peace for his people. It was the simplistic joys of coming home from a hard day at work, seeing the smiles on the faces of his family, and best of all, a hot bath. He heard the laughter of his boys as they battled on with their water fight, each refusing to give in, and each splash sounding louder and louder each turn.

He smiled; all was right with the world.

"Here comes the big one!" Sesshoumaru called out.

"Ah!" shouted the little puppy, as a huge spray of water drenched his hair and ears. Inuyasha sputtered, blinking the water out of his eyes. Then, shaking the water out of his silvery mop of hair, he decided, quite sneakily, to quietly climb out of his tub of water while his brother was laughing. And with all of his strength, he lifted the wooden tub, and threw the water onto Sesshoumaru's head.

"Hey!" The boy struggled to get his hair out of his eyes, a little bit miffed that his baby brother was able to get in such an attack. However, when his vision cleared, he found to his dismay that Inuyasha had scampered off out the door, though he could hear his giggles going down the hallway.

"Uh... chichi-ue..." he began, poking his father in the shoulder.

"What is it, boy?" the Tai-youkai replied lazily. "Don't tell me he's run off."

"Yes, chichi-ue," was the reply.

"Oh." A moment of silence passed by, until the youkai's eyes snapped open after realising what had happened. He jumped out of the water, not thinking to cover himself as he too, ran out of the door, closely followed by Sesshoumaru. He quickened his pace when he didn't hear the sounds of his little son, which always meant trouble, in more ways than one. If he didn't manage to find him quickly, and recapture him, no doubt there would be trouble, especially from the delicate hearts of the courtesans and the maid servants. Skidding to a halt, he began to sniff the air for his scent, smirking when he located the whereabouts of the naughty little hanyou.

"Are you in here?" he announced, as he slid the door open, not noticing that he had stepped into the room where his wives were occupying for a quiet evening of reading and embroidery. The youkai scanned the room once again, his gaze catching a glimpse of tiny little feet under the kimono of his human wife, Izayoi. His eyes narrowed in delight, and he pounced, crawling under the kimono to chase after Inuyasha, who screamed when his hiding place was found.

Round and round they went, one naked baby, and one naked full grown man, trying to see who could catch the other one first. While Izayoi remained where she was, for she could not move from where she was sitting, unable to even think about shrieking in fright, ever since she saw her husband burst into their room, showing more than she could handle in full light.

"My, my, now isn't this nice, Izayoi?" The Lady Youkai remarked, with a hand covering her mouth to smother her own amusement.

Izayoi whimpered, covering her eyes with the sleeves of her kimono, and attempting as best as she could to not think about his naked body crawling around her.

"Ma!" Inuyasha cried out, hurrying into his mother's lap for protection from his father.

"Oh no you don't, you little scamp. Your mother's not going to save you," and without warning, he sprung on top of his wife. But unfortunately for him, the little pup jumped off to run behind Sesshoumaru's mother, slowly erupting into a fit of giggles when he saw his father had found out that he had gone and hidden somewhere else.

The Lord growled, but stopped when he saw his youkai wife smiling at him, and pointing to Izayoi, who had for some reason, fainted. The colour instantly drained from his face, as he gently picked her up, desperately calling out her name to help her snap out of unconsciousness. He had no idea why his poor wife had collapsed without any warning. She had seemed fine throughout the day, and was certainly awake when he entered the room not too long ago. So what could have happened to cause such a reaction?

Stumped, he looked to the Lady for answers, and answer she did, pointing a finger towards him.

"Me?" he asked curiously, cocking his head to the side. It was then he knew what she was referring to, looking down – his face becoming increasingly hot in embarrassment – to find that he was indeed wearing nothing more than his skin. Eyes growing wide, he gasped in understanding, and then dashed right out through the door before Sesshoumaru had a chance to give him a cloth to cover himself.


	12. Chapter 12

The Characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Inuyasha's Ears

* * *

It had all started with a mirror, a mirror that Izayoi had received as a gift from her husband. It was a beautiful mirror, circular in shape and framed with dark wood, with the bottom curve being adorned with magnolia blossoms, and a large canine in the oriental style. Izayoi admired her reflection in the mirror, and how it copied every move she made. She heard her son giggle when she scrunched her nose, and she laughed when Inuyasha copied her actions, along with an attempt to make an angry face.

"Do you like it, Inuyasha?" the woman asked.

"Yes," he replied, making his face look like an oni before bursting out into another fit of giggles. But it was when he stopped laughing he noticed it. Blinking, he shook his head, paying particular attention to the two floppy triangles on top of his head. He shook his head again, watching them flop around with wide eyes.

"Ah!" he said, pointing to the reflection in the mirror and then at himself, his fingers going up to touch his puppy ears. How was it possible that he never saw these two appendages before?

Inuyasha leaned closer towards the mirror, tilting his head so that he could examine them. Then looking at his mother, he asked her what they were, and was surprised when she told him that they were his ears.

"Ears...?" Surely his mother was mistaken. These odd shapes protruding out of his hair couldn't possibly be his ears. And even if it were true, then why were his mother's ears different from his own? It didn't make any sense. He looked at her again, climbing up her kimono and lifting up her hair to check, confusion clearly written on his face when he saw that her ears were not the same as his, not one bit.

"Why?" he asked, lifting up his own hair while looking at the mirror, finding to his astonishment that he had no ears on the side of his face.

"I don't know, Inuyasha." Izayoi answered, smiling. "You're the only one here who has them."

"Me?" The little hanyou pulled them up slightly, until he could see them upright in his reflection. He stared at them for a while before letting them go, watching them in amazement as they flopped over in an instant. He still couldn't believe it; it wasn't possible that he was the only one with the funny shaped ears on top of his head instead of his sides. What about the rest of the family, and the other people who lived in the palace?

Inuyasha had to find out.

As quickly as he could, the little pup climbed out of his mother's lap and scampered off to find the rest of his family. He found them soon enough, relaxing on the pouch in the afternoon sun. Firstly, he crawled up to his brother, who was lying on his stomach with his eyes half asleep on the scroll he was reading, and without warning, Inuyasha climbed onto his shoulders, and began searching through his hair, trying to see if he had ears like his. His movements woke up Sesshoumaru with a jolt, which resulted in the hanyou tumbling onto the floor.

"What are you trying to do?" the older brother asked, trying hard to hide his sleepiness.

"Ears!" the younger replied, pointing to the pointy ones on the side of the young boy's head.

"What about them?"

"Ah!" said Inuyasha, pulling up his own ears to show him. He stared at him with big bright eyes, and whimpered a little when Sesshoumaru looked back at him in confusion. The hanyou then ran up to his aunt, climbing up her moko-moko, and messing up her nicely groomed locks in search for her ears. However, to his dismay, he found them on the sides, just like the ones on his brother and mother.

"Inuyasha," his father began, picking the boy up. "Whatever is the matter, my boy?"

"Ears," he said, as if it were the simplest explanation in the world. He stared at the older youkai, his face falling when he saw that his own father did not have the strange ears that he had, and at this, he started to cry, burying his face into his father's kimono to hide from the world.

"Inuyasha, my poor little guy, don't cry."

"Ears..." he sobbed, pulling his ears up then letting them flop over miserably once more.

Nothing could be done to calm the baby hanyou down, not even the delicious smell of food or fun games could entice him from out of hiding from under Izayoi's kimono. Not even his father's explanations and kind words made any difference. Besides, he didn't know what the word, hanyou, meant anyway, and even if he did, it still didn't explain why his ears were shaped like a little dog instead of the funny bits of skin hanging out from everyone else's heads.

He was still sniffling as his mother tucked him into bed, and a lone tear escaped his eye when she kissed him goodnight.

"Don't cry, little one," she whispered, stroking his puppy ears with her fingertips. "If I had your ears, would that make you happy?"

Inuyasha didn't reply, only smiled a little while snuggling further into his bed.

While this was happening, Sesshoumaru had been listening to the whole exchange between his brother and Izayoi. He wasn't exactly sure what had happened to make Inuyasha so upset, and it somehow hurt him to see his younger brother in such a mood, very different from his usual bouncy behaviour. If only he could find a solution to the problem, if he knew what the problem was, first. He mulled over it, again and again until suddenly, the youkai sat up, the answer clear in his mind. However, a few moments later, he fell back down again when he discovered the answer got him nowhere to fixing the problem. Sighing, he closed his eyes, falling asleep before he could think of anything.

* * *

The next morning passed by without much incident, though Inuyasha didn't feel any better, moping about the palace and gardens, clutching onto his toy dog, his only friend that had the same special features as he did.

"Inuyasha, don't you want to play today?" Sesshoumaru asked, lifting him up to carry him for lunch.

The hanyou hugged his toy dog, shaking his head.

"Are you still thinking about your ears? They are only ears, otouto. You shouldn't be sad because they are different." He hugged his little brother closer to him when he said nothing, wishing he could think of something soon to cheer Inuyasha up, so that everything would be back to normal.

Unfortunately, Sesshoumaru found nothing that could possibly fix the problem, and he was still in deep thought as the dessert was being served. He glanced at the mochi being placed before him, and like a light, the idea came to him. Turning his head, he saw his father feeding Inuyasha, and so before anyone could notice, he grabbed the mochi, divided it in half, and saw how sticky it was in his hands.

"Inuyasha, you're not feeling better today?" his father asked, giving him some soup to drink. "Cheer up, boy. They're only ears, and if you're the only one who has them, then, why not? Isn't that right, Sesshou—?" The sentence was cut short when the man looked up to his other son. He blinked, not believing what he saw. "I say, Sesshoumaru, what is... that on your head?"

Everyone looked at the young youkai, raising their eyes until they focussed on the pointy objects on his head.

"Ah!" Inuyasha cried out, surprised when he recognised what the shapes were on his brother's head, "Ears!"

"Oh dear," Sesshoumaru's mother added, first looking at his head and then at the empty tray in front of him. "Is that... mochi on your head?"

"No, haha-ue... it's my ears." The smile on Inuyasha's face more than made up for his current embarrassment, especially when his mother began to poke at the sweets, watching them slide down his hair.

"But, Sesshoumaru," his mother said, "Mochi? That stuff is going to be very hard to get out of your hair."

At this, Sesshoumaru's face turned white. He hadn't anticipated this outcome.

* * *

Inuyasha jumped happily down the corridor, his mood finally lifted. He wanted to show his brother something, a little present to show his thanks for simply being his big brother, and also for the fact that his mochi ears had given him a great idea on how to have ears like everyone else. Feeling very proud of himself, the pup entered into the room, where the Lady and Izayoi were deciding on whether or not to attempt to take the sticky sweets out of Sesshoumaru's hair or to simply cut the offending bits out. He then stood in front of his brother, showing him his new ears with pride.

They stared back at him, and at the golden syrup dribbling through his locks of hair and down his cheeks.

"Ears!" he said, giggling.

The End.


	13. Chapter 13

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 8

* * *

When Miroku finally finished his breakfast, though a little reluctant to leave such charming women, he found himself outside, running after the little boy named Inuyasha. He didn't really understand what he had done to make the hanyou even want to play with someone like him, and yet he was flattered by his playful antics. Now if only Izayoi would pay that much attention to him, his life would be fulfilled.

"Have a good time, houshi-sama." The woman youkai called out to him, causing his blood to chill, even at a distance. "And don't let Inuyasha tire you out, it would be a shame indeed if you are not able to last throughout the night."

Miroku shivered, not wanting to think about what the Lady had meant, and so he continued to run after the little pup, calling out his name to slow down so that he could catch up with him. Why did he have to be so fast? _Wait a minute... _The houshi looked around searching for the bright red cloth Inuyasha wore, panicking when he couldn't find him amongst the green grass. He called out again, this time louder, striding through the grass while mumbling prayers to whomever would listen.

All of a sudden, he saw movement from the corner of his eye, and in a flash, he was pounced upon by a blur of growling red.

"Inuyasha," he exclaimed, catching the boy in his arms. "You gave me a fright."

Inuyasha replied by squealing in delight, obviously happy by such news.

The houshi looked at him, a sad look which caused Inuyasha to look back at him with questioning eyes. "Look, Inuyasha, we're friends, aren't we?" At this the boy nodded. "So friends shouldn't try to scare each other. I don't really like it. Do you understand?"

The hanyou's ears twitched in thought, and finally he smiled, nodding in agreement. Then, climbing down the man's kimono, he announced that they should play a game instead. It would be a teaching game, like the ones his father showed him.

"Oh?" Miroku said, following the little pup as he ran towards what looked like a small family of rabbits.

"Shh!" said Inuyasha, holding a finger to his lips before crouching down to the ground, while instructing Miroku to do the same. He then showed him how to manoeuvre his body in such a way to be within striking distance of their target, not really noticing that the houshi had to refrain from actually crouching down all the way, in case he was spotted doing something silly. Especially when he had the suspicion that the blue haired woman was hiding somewhere, watching his every move with eagerness, and waiting for her chance to pounce on him. Not that he didn't like her, she was indeed quite beautiful, it was the fact that she was a little too enthusiastic about him, almost to the point that she was willing to forget that she was the wife of the Inu no Tashio. There was no way he was going to stoke up his wrath. It was bad enough the first time.

"Houshi," Inuyasha whispered, gaining Miroku's attention once more, "Wiggle."

He blinked in response, wondering what he had meant by the word, "Wiggle? Where?"

"You! Wiggle," the pup then showed him by wiggling his bottom, and tried to show him again when Miroku refused to do so. "Why?"

"Why do I have to?" He asked, finding it hard to keep in his laughter of amusement and embarrassment.

Inuyasha cocked his head to one side, scratching his ear in confusion as to why he didn't want to wiggle his bottom. It wasn't difficult to do, and more importantly, it was the best method to begin chasing rabbits, or squirrels for that matter. One had to get a good wiggle in before they pounced, or else it just wouldn't feel right.

"Please?" Inuyasha pleaded, his eyes growing big and sad, and instantly melting the man's heart.

"Oh, all right." Miroku sighed, turning behind him to make sure that no one was looking.

Unfortunately, someone was looking, and her golden eyes widened in excitement when she saw the houshi wiggle his bottom as he prepared to make a jump towards the unsuspecting rabbits.

"Haha-ue," Sesshoumaru said, making his mother jump. "Why are you hiding behind a tree?"

"I'm not hiding, Sesshoumaru," she coolly told him, effectively hiding her surprise when her son appeared from out of nowhere. "I'm simply having some fun. What about you? Have you finished your lessons already?"

"Yes." He replied, and was about to say something else but thought better of it, deciding it would be wiser to go off and play games with his younger brother, and not question why his mother was stalking the houshi.

"Yes, you go and play with them, and I'll bring lunch later on," and with that, he left her, though he did turn around to see if his mother was still there, only to find out that she had already disappeared.

* * *

Lunchtime had come and gone, although Miroku wished it had gone on longer since it was Izayoi who had brought them lunch. She was a pleasant person to talk to, and from the impression he got from the way she spoke about her life in the palace, the hime was indeed well looked after and comfortable with being the only human within the entire family of Inu youkai, with the exception with Inuyasha of course being only half human.

"Your son is very energetic. He was teaching me a lot of things today. Weren't you, Inuyasha?"

The boy eagerly nodded his head, and then burst out into a whole conversation of jumbled words, growls, and visual displays of the things they did to terrorise the local population of small and furry creatures.

"Oh, I hope Inuyasha hasn't hurt your wounds in any way with all that jumping about."

Inuyasha looked surprised at this, rapidly shaking his head to say that he wouldn't dare to do such a thing to his friend, but all his fears vanished when he heard the adults laughing.

And all too soon, it was time to go back home for the evening. There was just enough time for one more game – a race against Sesshoumaru, with Inuyasha on his shoulders, and Miroku, to see who would be the fastest to reach the house. Not that it mattered anyway, as Inuyasha was having too much fun, bouncing up and down on top of his older brother's shoulders with each running stride he took.

_My goodness, _Miroku thought to himself, watching the little hanyou still playing about with endless amounts of energy, right up until dinner was announced. _If this keeps up, I'll never be able to get any rest. _

"Did you and houshi-sama have fun today?" The father of the household asked his son at dinner, noticing that he was more quiet than usual.

Inuyasha yawned in response, his head drooping sideways, and yet trying to keep his eyes open.

"You're tired, Inuyasha?" The Lord then looked at the man dressed in dark robes, smiling in such a way that would have made Miroku's body feel cold, if he weren't distracted by the secretive smile from the Lady at that same moment. Either way, it was enough to make him sigh miserably at his own plight.

"Well he did play all day." Izayoi offered, her voice instantly calming the youkai. "And he was too excited to have houshi-sama as a playmate, that he forgot to take a nap. You were there too, weren't you, Sesshoumaru-kun?"

"Ah well." He finally conceded in gracious defeat. "At least we gave it our best try, eh, little guy?"

Inuyasha smiled sleepily, snuggling up against his father's chest, and falling fast asleep before he could finish his meal.

* * *

Wiggle!


	14. Chapter 14

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Inuyasha Speaks

* * *

The Lord of the household, and his human wife, Izayoi, watched with eager eyes at their little son. He in turn looked at them, wondering what they were smiling about. Inuyasha gurgled, putting his finger in his mouth, while his ears twitched at the words his parents were saying.

"Papa," the male youkai said, slowly, "Can you say, papa?" He repeated it again, emphasising the pronunciation of the word.

The hanyou opened his mouth, copying his father's actions, and out came a sound, which sounded nothing like what his father wanted him to say.

"No, Inuyasha," he said, ignoring the giggles from his wives, "papa, papa."

"How about 'mama', then?" Izayoi asked, cuddling their son close to her chest.

"Ma!"

The Inu-no Tashio looked at him, surprise and mock hurt written on his handsome features. "That's not fair, little guy. You can say Ma, but not Pa?"

At this, Inuyasha smiled, saying out loud, "Pa!" To which his response earned him a playful growl and a tickle attack on the undersides of his feet.

This went on for a while, both parents teaching Inuyasha various simple words for him to say and learn, but it was until the father asked Sesshoumaru what he wanted the hanyou to say, was when the chaos began.

The older brother stared at the younger, his mind adamant at the word he wanted Inuyasha to say.

"Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha's eyes widened, as if to ask how the heck he was supposed to say such a long word.

"Sesshoumaru, how the heck is he supposed to say such a long word? Can't you teach him a simpler one?" Their father asked. "He's only a baby. Something like onii-chan? How about that, Inuyasha? Would you like to call him onii-chan?"

"No." Sesshoumaru stated, crossing his arms, "Ses-shou-ma-ru." There was no way his brother would be calling him 'onii-chan'. It was a cute word, for a cute person, something which he was certainly not.

"Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru," his mother added, smiling. "I think onii-chan suits you well, even nii-chan."

"No," the child said again, but then sighed when he felt all the eyes in the room were on him. He needed to compromise, and quickly, "All right, how about aniki? Can you at least say that?"

Inuyasha smiled, gurgling once again. "Ah!"

"What do you mean, Ah? It's aniki."

"Ah!"

"Ah-ni-ki," Sesshoumaru repeated, this time more slowly so that the puppy could see his lip movements.

"Ah!"

For the rest of the day, and indeed for the next following weeks, Inuyasha had been calling his brother 'Ah', despite the many times Sesshoumaru had tried to correct him. He was still a baby after all, and had only started to speak in monosyllabic words, anymore would have only resulted in a lot of baby talk and puppy sounds. However, Sesshoumaru was not pleased, at all, and finally in the end, the young youkai gave up trying to teach him to say aniki.

"Ah!" Inuyasha said as he crawled up towards him, climbing onto his lap.

"What now, Inuyasha?" he asked, indifferently.

"Ah?" the hanyou replied, tugging on his kimono.

Picking the baby up, Sesshoumaru looked at him straight in the eye, saying in the most serious voice he could muster, "Look, I don't want you to call me Ah, anymore. Do you understand, otouto? Why can't you say my name? Look. Listen carefully. Ses-shou-maru."

"Sess, Sess-ooo...mm...mm..." Inuyasha began, his tongue eventually becoming tied up and unable to grasp around the word, until he had no choice but to blow a raspberry in his brother's face. He then covered his mouth with his tiny hands, though his eyes were still laughing with glee, especially when he saw Sesshoumaru pout.

"Inuyasha..."

"Ah!"

"I said no more Ah." Sesshoumaru had had enough; there was simply no way Inuyasha was going to learn to say his name, no matter how many times he repeated it. He had to compromise once again, though he was somewhat reluctant to do so. Sesshoumaru did not want to be known as Ah for the rest of his life.

"Fine, you can call me onii-chan." The older brother conceded. "Would you like that?"

Inuyasha seemed happy at this, waving his arms about to show his delight.

"Nii!"

_Oh well_, Sesshoumaru reflected, after seeing the little hanyou attach himself to his moko-moko to snuggle up against its warmth, it was close enough.


	15. Chapter 15

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

The Big Adventures of Little Inu – 9

* * *

Later in the evening, Miroku found himself in one of the guest sleeping areas. It was a comfortable looking futon, and to be truthful, he was tired after all the games he had played with the little hanyou. The pup was a cute little handful, and yet he was glad when Inuyasha nodded off to sleep before he could finish his dinner.

_Now, time for some sleep, I think... _Stretching his tired limbs, Miroku got into his sleeping yukata and into bed, yawning as he made himself comfortable amongst the soft linen. However, as sleep was about to overtake him, he saw movement from the corner of his eye, and a line of light entering into his vision. He then heard footsteps padding towards him, slowly, footsteps which sounded a little too predatory for his liking.

Miroku gulped, hard.

"Oh," the feminine voiced began, like a caress, managing to make Miroku jump up in fright. "Did little Inuyasha make poor houshi-sama tired?"

"Y-your Ladyship, I-I—" he stammered, gathering up the futon like a shield for protection. "What a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?"

"You," she answered, her eyes glowing with dangerous emotion.

"M-me?" the houshi squeaked, holding the blankets tighter around him.

The youkai Lady simply smiled, her elegant form making her way towards him, catching the man unawares before he could run for the door. Not that he could anyway, for she had pinched at one of his pressure points, which caused him to fall easily into her arms, much to his dismay.

"Oh, looks like you are tired, my dear little man," she cooed, holding him gently in a vicelike grip. They stayed like that for a while, but for Miroku, it seemed much longer, too long for his liking. So when the shoji door suddenly slid open with a bang, revealing none other than the Inu-no Tashio himself, holding what seemed to be a tray of sweets and hot steaming tea, the houshi would have cried for joy, if not for the absolute sour expression he could see on the Lord's face.

"Good evening, wife," he said stiffly, though obviously trying to keep his cool. "I took the liberty to bring you some refreshments, in case you were preoccupied with other, more... important matters."

"Good evening, husband," she answered coolly, flicking her hair teasingly at him. "I thank you for your kindness. Though, I would like to complain about your timing. It seems hardly appropriate that you would walk in here to witness such an intimate moment between us."

"All the more reason to, my darling," and without another word, the Lord sat down next to them, and proceeded to serve the refreshments, all the while looking at them with such intensity, that Miroku feared that he was going to die at any moment.

"What's the matter, houshi-sama?" The youkai Lady asked, stroking his face with a clawed fingertip.

Miroku whimpered, still unable to move from her grasp.

"Perhaps you're making him uncomfortable." The Lord answered for the speechless man as he sipped at his tea. "I can smell his fear."

"Nonsense, that cannot be it," she said, fluttering her long lashes at him. "You're not... afraid of me, are you, houshi-sama? We cannot have that now, can we?"

The Lord huffed with disdain, his mouth turning into a scowl as his youkai wife continued to cradle the human male in her arms like he was the most precious thing in the whole country. Of course it made him somewhat jealous. No, that wasn't right. He was angry, or at least he pretended to be angry to hide the fact that he was jealous, which he wasn't. Yes, he was angry, especially when he saw how the delicate hand of his wife was trailing circles around the houshi's chest.

"What are you doing?" he asked, with a mixture of anxiety and rage evident in his voice.

"What does it look like? I'm making him more comfortable." The lady smiled at him, an innocent smile, though she did not stop her ministrations. She knew that he was angry at her, however, that was not reason enough to make her stop. Besides, he looked absolutely adorable when he cared enough to be jealous of a mere human male.

While this was going on between the two youkai, Miroku was still in his predicament, wishing that something would happen to release him from the Lady. Nice as she was, this type of scenario was not really what he had imagined all those nights he had spent alone, when he wasn't in the company of beautiful women. It would have been nice to at least—

"Yes, houshi-sama, do you wish to say something?"

The pounding of his heart increased in intensity as he vigorously shook his head, the previous thought having vanished completely when their attentions were focussed back onto him. Instead, his breathing became erratic, as her hands began to search his body once again, going lower and lower, until he could not maintain his cool anymore, and screamed when she had placed her hands where he did not want them to be. And in an instant, he bolted upright, his spell of paralysis negated by sheer terror, as he bounded for the door and down the hallway.

When silence filled the room, both youkai husband and wife looked at each other, before the woman hid her blushing and giggling face behind her golden fan, but one look at the Lord's questioning face caused her to burst out in laughter.


	16. Chapter 16

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Inuyasha the Duckling

* * *

It was springtime, and the weather was beginning to grow warmer with each passing day. The trees were regaining the leaves they had lost during the autumn and winter cycles, and were sprouting small buds of pinkish hues.

"It's springtime now, Inuyasha." Izayoi said, while she enjoyed the cool breeze as it blew through her hair. "This is my favourite season, did you know that?" She looked at her son, who tilted his head as if to ask why. Inuyasha was a curious pup, always wanting to know why someone asked a particular question to him. This was one of those occasions, and his little puppy ears twitched in anticipation, eagerly waiting for the response from his mother.

"It's because it's the season where new life begins. Look, Inuyasha, see all the trees growing new leaves? Soon we'll see the flowers blooming. And you know what else? This is the time where we get to see many baby animals."

"Baby? Me?" Inuyasha asked, pointing to himself.

"Yes," she smiled, "just like you."

At this, Inuyasha gurgled and clapped his hands, earning him a smile and a soft chuckle from both of his parents.

"You like that, don't you, little guy?" his father asked, picking the little boy up to show him what he had just spotted in the distance. "Do you see them, those two ducks over there? They are going to start a new family. Izayoi, those ducks look like the ones from last year. I wonder if they are going to build a nest under the house again like last year." His question was answered, when the two birds waddled their way towards them, much to the fascination of the little hanyou. Inuyasha was truly awestruck by these creatures. He had never seen birds like these before, with their brightly coloured feathers and the strange way they were walking, and he wiggled his little bottom in attempt to copy their waddling movements.

The ducks stopped short in front of the family, staring and blinking at them before scuttling under the porch and then back out again after a few minutes, waddling quickly away down the small hill and out of sight. This went on until it was late in the evening, with the two ducks going backwards and forwards, each carrying twigs in their mouths, and with Inuyasha watching them waddle in and out, wondering when he would be able to see the babies. Right now, however, all he could see was the birds apparently building something.

"It's called a nest, Inuyasha. It's where the Mama duck will be laying her eggs. And then the eggs will hatch…"

"Baby?" the little pup asked, hopefully.

Izayoi giggled. "Yes, babies, at least six or more."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. This was something he was not expecting, and now he waited eagerly for the baby ducks to appear. Six baby ducks, he thought to himself. That was a lot of babies, and according to his mother, there was a big chance that there could be more.

The little hanyou made a sound, a sound much like a child made when realising he or she was about to receive a whole tray of sweet treats.

There he was, crouched down near the underside of the pouch for a many a day, unmoving – though there were times he had to be picked up by either his father or brother for meals and a bath – simply watching the mother duck sit on her nest, with golden eyes full of silent excitement.

She stared back at him, with what looked like a hint of curiosity in her dark eyes, as she turned her head this way and that, apparently trying to figure out why this creature continued to just sit there, staring at her, saying a few odd sounds she had come to recognise as human sounds.

The mother duck then decided to say something to him, just to see what his reaction would be, and so she did, with a series of quacks in his direction.

Inuyasha gave out a little gasp, and smiled a big smile, replying with his own quack, which surprised the Mama duck.

"Quack!" the hanyou said to the Papa duck when he arrived to visit his mate, and he reacted in much the same way, before he waddled hurriedly towards his partner.

Soon, after many more days of patient waiting, Inuyasha saw the mother duck appear to bob up and down, and move about some more, until she stood up to reveal one of the eggs cracking open all by itself, and moving about it an agitating way.

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, Inuyasha crawled to the nest, his puppy ears twitching when he heard the sounds of tiny little cheeping noises coming from the egg.

"Cheep, cheep," said Inuyasha, delight filling his heart when he saw the tiniest looking creature he had ever seen pop out of the egg. It didn't look like much, looking all gooey and wet, yet when all the eggs had hatched (eight in all), and when some time had passed, the little ducklings transformed into little fluffy puffs of soft yellow.

"Baby!" he exclaimed when eight pairs of eyes looked back at him, cheeping in astonishment at what they were seeing. The ducklings then looked at their mother, as if to ask if it would be safe enough to go near this very big duckling. She made a sound in response, and almost immediately they hopped their way to the hanyou.

"Hello." The little birds felt so soft in his hands, warm, and ticklish. Inuyasha giggled as their tiny webbed feet walked along his shoulders, tickling the sides of his face and nibbling at his silvery hair with interest.

They eventually hopped off when their mother called them to follow her, and follow they did, along with the hanyou, wiggling his bottom in time with every step the ducklings took. Down the hill they went, in a single file, from the mother duck and ducklings in the middle, to Inuyasha at the very end, the biggest of them all, waggling along like he was a part of their family.

It took the whole group a while to reach their final destination, and when they did stop by the edges of a large pond, Inuyasha watched the brood jump into the water, where they floated easily on its surface, waiting for him to join in.

"I don't think so, little guy." The Inu no Tashio caught the mischievous little pup just in time before he had the chance to leap into the water. It was fortunate for him that he had keeping his eye out for the hanyou, ever since he saw him huddled over in the same spot numerous of times. And when he noticed the boy following the brood down to one of the palace's ponds, he knew he had to be fast to catch up to him.

"Just what were you planning to do, Inuyasha?" he asked the grinning boy.

"Quack!" was the hanyou's response, which earned a look of surprise on his father's face.

"I think it's time to say goodbye." The Inu Lord ruffled his son's mop of hair. "It's time for your bath."

"Bye?"

His father smiled gently. "You can see them tomorrow."

Inuyasha watched the ducks from over his father's shoulder, waving sadly his farewell to his friends. However he knew he would be back the next day to see them, and he hoped they would be waiting for him as well.


	17. Chapter 17

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

A Talk about Girls

* * *

The Inu no Tashio was at home for the evening, enjoying the company of his sons, after a short excursion surveying his lands to ensure that no danger would befall them. He was proud of his two boys, growing up healthy and strong before his very eyes. One day they would grow up to be fine young men, courageous, handsome, and most important of them all, protective of their loved ones. These were qualities that befitted their royal blood line.

"That's right, little guy," he said as he playfully poked at Inuyasha's little tummy. "One day you and Sesshoumaru will grow up to be fine gentlemen, having your own adventures, but you two must remember the most important lesson in your life: Protect the ones you love. That is where we Inu Youkai get our strength from."

"Loved ones?" asked Sesshoumaru. "What do you mean by that?" And it was at this point where the conversation went downhill.

"Women, Sesshoumaru, girls. There will be one day in your life where you will come across a pretty girl and—"

Two pairs of golden eyes stared at their father, disbelief clearly written on their faces.

"This Sesshoumaru has no need for pretty girls," the older brother told his father. "Haha-ue is enough." Perhaps he would have had included Izayoi as well, but he was not going to say that out loud. Besides, it was preposterous to think that their own father could say such things.

"Ma," added Inuyasha, not liking the idea that there would be girls more important than his Mama.

"That's not what I meant." The father tried to say.

"Ma…" Inuyasha whimpered, doing his best not to cry. "Ma… Ma…"

_Oh dear…_ This was not the outcome he was aiming for when he had begun their little talk, and so for the rest of the following day, he spent most of the time placating his two sons, much to his wives curiosity, as they finally asked at dinnertime what he had done to make the boys so mopey.

"I have no idea." The Youkai Lord answered, giving them a quick smile before hiding his face behind his soup bowl.


	18. Chapter 18

The characters of Inuyasha (manga and anime) belong to Takahashi Rumiko

Stubborn

* * *

Another day had gone by, with the sun slowly making its way down to make way for the night. Sesshoumaru had not realised how fast the time had gone, having played out all day with his little brother, Inuyasha, and now it was getting late, and they were far away from home.

Still, it was easy enough to find their way to the big house; however, the little hanyou was making it difficult, refusing to take another step.

"Come on, otouto. It is not that far."

"No, tired," he replied, displaying his stubbornness by crossing his arms, and then lifting them up to say that he wanted to be carried home.

Inuyasha smiled, hopefully.

"No, Sesshoumaru replied, equally as stubborn. "You can walk."

Inuyasha shook his head rapidly, "Tired. Hug, please?"

The older youkai ignored him, turning to face the direction of home instead of his brother's pleading face and outstretched arms. He began to walk, in full knowledge that he would soon hear the tiny footsteps of Inuyasha's feet following behind him.

He sneaked in a look over his shoulder, and saw that he was indeed correct. There was the little brother sitting on the grass, smiling with his arms stretched out, again asking for a 'hug'.

"Pleeease?"

Sesshoumaru paid no attention, choosing to walk away.

The hanyou giggled, standing up to creep behind his brother, and then sitting back down in the long grass whenever he saw his brother was about turn around and spot him.

"Come on, Inuyasha. I know you are not tired."

"I am," he said, falling back onto the grass and pretending to be just that. "Goodnight."

The youkai heaved a sigh, attempting to hide his own grin before his brother's silly antics got to him. He knew Inuyasha was tired, he had seen him rub his eyes a couple of times, and yet the boy still wanted to play.

It was a standoff, and a very tense one, as both brothers refused to give in to the other. However, it didn't last long, as their father had arrived to pick them up.

"Ah, there you are, you two. I was half thinking that you would have run away and never return home," he teased the eldest son while picking up a gleeful little pup. "Were you planning to run away too, little guy? I hope you don't turn out to be like your naughty older brother."

"Chichi-ue…" the youkai defended, but only received laughter and the ruffling of his hair as a response.

"Come on, boy. I'll give you a piggyback ride if you like."

"Nii-chan!" said Inuyasha, encouraging his brother to join in the fun.

Sesshoumaru just stared at them, but before he could say anything, he was lifted up into his father's strong arm and whisked away to their awaiting family for dinner.


End file.
